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<h1 id="reader-title">Misery Breeds Renewed Struggle in Puerto
Rico</h1>
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<p itemprop="description alternativeHeadline"
class="subtitle">July 22, 2016<br>
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<p itemprop="description alternativeHeadline"
class="subtitle">There is today in Puerto Rico a revival
of the progressive and independence movement due to the
devastating economic crisis.</p>
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<p>The PROMESA law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed
by President Barack Obama is described by most corporate
media as an “aid to restructure the debt and help
develop the economy” in Puerto Rico. </p>
<p>The reality is that its intention is to function as a
collection agency through a Financial Control Board, or
what’s being called a junta, for the benefit of wealthy
U.S. bondholders at the expense of the Puerto Rican
people, who have been driven into poverty and despair. </p>
<p>The situation on the island is desperate, with
increased violence and crime; foreclosures and
repossessions; deterioration of health due to the high
cost of medical services and the lack of doctors and
other health professionals who are migrating daily to
the U.S.; hunger and poverty exacerbated by layoffs,
lack of basic services and the high cost of living; and
a Zika epidemic. </p>
<p>The fact that there is an unemployed or
underemployed—but well-trained—workforce in Puerto Rico,
that is bilingual and has U.S. citizenship, has
attracted U.S. agencies that offer better salaries and
are creating a brain drain on the island. U.S. agencies
have already been to Puerto Rico to recruit nurses,
teachers, doctors and other professionals. </p>
<p>Most troubling is the recruitment of police. It is well
known that there is an U.S. epidemic of horrendous
police killings of unarmed Black and brown people. With
the excuse that they need more Latino police because
there are more Latinos in U.S. cities now, they recruit
Puerto Ricans to be used against Black and brown people
in the U.S. </p>
<p>For example, the city of Baltimore—where Freddie Gray
was killed and so far not one police officer has been
found guilty—recruited in Puerto Rico. And as a result,
some 1,600 Puerto Ricans registered to take the
Baltimore Police Department exam. </p>
<p>The roots of the disastrous situation in Puerto Rico
started in 1898 when the U.S. invaded the island.
Without a full review of history, it must be remembered
that the U.S. occupation brought the destruction of the
island's economy and devaluation of its currency, which
at the time was equal in value to the U.S. dollar. </p>
<p>Since then, the U.S. imposed an exporting economy whose
profits go directly to U.S. companies. The first
enormous production was sugar. Sugar plantations
enriched Domino Sugar, a well-known U.S. company. </p>
<p>When the U.S. decided to industrialize the island,
every industry was created for the purpose of export,
from oil refineries, pharmaceuticals, textiles and
electronics, these companies took advantage of a
tax-free status and low paid labor, while polluting air,
land and water. Now mega stores like WalMart benefit
from low wages and taxes. </p>
<p>Puerto Rico's colonial status has deprived it of a
sovereign government, it has been at the mercy of its
"masters," the U.S. congress. </p>
<p>When in 1952, the concept of a "Free Associated State",
or Commonwealth, was imposed by the U.S., it was for the
purpose of removing Puerto Rico from the list of its
territories so that it would not be held accountable for
its colonial possessions by the U.N. </p>
<p>What the independence movement has always maintained
has now been publically and officially confirmed by the
U.S. Supreme Court decision in Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico v. Sanchez Valle et al.: The Free Associated State
is neither a “state” nor is it “free,” and it is not
even “associated.” And to prove it, plunging the dagger
into the depths of the Puerto Rican heart, Congress
approved just hours later the dictatorial Financial
Control Board. </p>
<p>It is important to point out that alongside with U.S.
domination, came every attempt at suppressing the
independence and nationalist movement on the island. </p>
<p>Since the U.S. invasion in 1898, Puerto Rico’s
independence fighters have been persecuted, maligned,
repressed and killed. </p>
<p>Now, after the recent decisions, a new stage of
struggle has opened up. The colonial option is no longer
possible. Many people mention that now there are only
two options: “statehood” or “independence.” But the
reality is that statehood is really no option. </p>
<p>There is today in Puerto Rico a revival of the
progressive and independence movement, including
organization of various forms of struggle and civil
disobedience against the dictates of U.S. banks,
including demonstrations, forums and work in the
Decolonization Committee of the U.N. </p>
<p>And although there is still no unity of action,
different sectors in Puerto Rico are mobilizing. </p>
<p>With consistent and militant actions, teachers have
managed to stop one measure in the Puerto Rican
legislature, the “Bhatia Plan.” This plan aimed to
implement the privatization of many schools, the
dismissal of thousands of teachers and the destruction
of public education, among other regressive provisions.
</p>
<p>The United Front Against Aerial Fumigation, composed of
several environmental, health, agriculture, social
justice and other organizations, has called for various
actions, including demonstrations against aerial
spraying of the deadly toxin Naled, which the Centers
for Disease Control proposed be used in Puerto Rico to
“eradicate” the mosquito that carries the Zika virus. </p>
<p>In Puerto Rico there is much opposition to its use not
only because it’s harmful to people, but also for its
damage to bees, which in turn harm agriculture. Puerto
Rican experts have proposed other, more appropriate ways
to counter Zika, but so far the government has not paid
attention. </p>
<p>On June 30, the militant and class-conscious union
UTIER, representing the workers of the Electric Energy
Authority, held a successful, island-wide 24-hour strike
to protest and fight against the attempt to privatize
and restructure the AEE </p>
<p>Angel Figueroa Jaramillo, president of UTIER, declared,
“We in the UTIER have struggled to build fundamental
rights for the whole working class of our country. It is
with this principle that we defend with all our power
our medical plan and retirement system, which should be
guaranteed for all citizens.” </p>
<p>As soon as the U.S. Senate announced its approval of
PROMESA, a large group of youth assembled in front of
the gates of the Federal Court in San Juan. There, they
set up a “Camp Against the Junta” and said they would
not leave until their demands were heard. </p>
<p>They called for people to unite against the the junta,
colonialism and the spraying of Naled; and in defense of
the beaches, public education and the people. Through
their Facebook page, they publicized their demands and
received messages of solidarity from organizations and
individuals on the island and the U.S. </p>
<p>There have been attempts to evict them by government
harassment and threats, but the youth have publicized
these attempts on social media and the response from
lawyers' groups and the general public have prevented
the eviction. </p>
<p>The camp has been growing as more people show up and
set up tents. They have also developed a series of
actions that include teach-ins on topics such as the
history of resistance, cultural presentations, picket
lines, political movies, and acts in solidarity with
other movements. </p>
<p>The musical star Rene Perez Joglar, better known as
Residente, visited the camp July 21, urging Puerto
Ricans to join the movement and "contribute a grain of
sand," to the cause. </p>
<p><em>Berta Joubert-Ceci is a retired psychiatrist, now
residing in Philadelphia. She is a long time Puerto
Rican activist and organizer for the struggle in
solidarity with the peoples of Latin America and the
liberation of Puerto Rico. While in Puerto Rico, she
was part of the committee to Free Lolita Lebron,
Rafael Cancel Miranda, Irvin Flores and Oscar Collazo,
Puerto Rican independentistas held in U.S. prisons.</em>
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